# My cat is afraid of the dark. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 6, 2009, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-is-afraid-of-the-dark/516570 "2009-11-06T14:47:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-is-afraid-of-the-dark/516570/1 "2009-11-06T14:47:59Z")
Our power went out last night for the first time in three years. [Maxx](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v483/picunurse/kitties%20from%20all%20over/Maxxty1.jpg) is three years old. He moved in with us at Christmas when he was a [baby](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v483/picunurse/kitties%20from%20all%20over/Maxxtheyounger1.jpg). So, the lights went out during an unusually heavy storm. All the kitties bailed under the bed. Then the lights went out with a loud GZZZZT/BANG! After digging out flashlights and checking to be sure there weren’t powerlines down on the house, I thought the kitties might like a treat to help them calm down. The girls were thrilled, ate their treats and hopped back into bed. Maxx wanted no part of the treat, walking around on kitty tip toes, fluffed out like a cartoon dryer cat. He wouldn’t let me touch him. He sat in the middle of the kitchen or marched around the dining room. Finally, I caught him. He, my big, brave watch cat. buried his head in my shoulder, shaking. I took him into bed and held all 18 lbs of him until the lights came on an hour later. He’s fine this morning. ---
**Author:** ![gardentraveler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gardentraveler/32/3576_2.png) [@gardentraveler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gardentraveler)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-is-afraid-of-the-dark/516570/2 "2009-11-06T15:15:42Z")
Awwwwww. Poor Maxx. Pretty kitty. ---
**Author:** ![taxi78cab](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47c2d/32.png) [@taxi78cab](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/taxi78cab)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-is-afraid-of-the-dark/516570/3 "2009-11-06T15:35:20Z")
Awwwwwww. I love the kitten picture! ---
**Author:** ![Tequila\_Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/41988e/32.png) [@Tequila\_Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tequila_Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-is-afraid-of-the-dark/516570/4 "2009-11-06T15:39:48Z")
Poor Maxx kitty. Our gray cat, [Minerva](http://i37.tinypic.com/2u88k7s.jpg), is terrified of thunder. She slinks off to the basement, but will let her favored person, our 15 year-old son, hold her. She makes herself as small as possible and shivers the whole time. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-is-afraid-of-the-dark/516570/5 "2009-11-06T16:53:31Z")
It was probably the loud noise that scared him but sometimes cats with vision problems will not like the dark. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-is-afraid-of-the-dark/516570/6 "2009-11-06T16:59:58Z")
> [@Wile\_E](#): > > It was probably the loud noise that scared him but sometimes cats with vision problems will not like the dark. The noise, even the storm was over for almost an hour when I picked him up. He also wanted the flashlight. We’ve thought Maxx had vision problems since he was a kitten. He doesn’t judge jumps well, he has to touch his water before drinking or he misjudges the surface and he runs into door jams now and then. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-is-afraid-of-the-dark/516570/7 "2009-11-06T17:06:39Z")
> [@picunurse](#): > > The noise, even the storm was over for almost an hour when I picked him up. He also wanted the flashlight. > > We’ve thought Maxx had vision problems since he was a kitten. He doesn’t judge jumps well, he has to touch his water before drinking or he misjudges the surface and he runs into door jams now and then. I had a cat with juvenile cataracts, he could supposedly see shadows and shapes but that doesn’t explain how he could see my jewelry to steal it. Anyway, he did fine most if the time but sometimes in the dark he’d start meowing until I called to him so he could follow my voice to me. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-is-afraid-of-the-dark/516570/8 "2009-11-06T19:57:05Z")
I have a completely blind cat who doesn’t even notice when it’s dark, but I have a dog who will not go outside at night unless we turn on the light. If I try picking him up and putting him out myself, he’ll stand by the door shivering and crying until the light is on, then he’ll prance right out to the yard and take care of business. And since this is a pet thread: fraidy dog Buddy: [http://www.flickr.com/photos/bellabrigido/3951211481/](http://www.flickr.com/photos/bellabrigido/3951211481/) Wonton the Amazing: [My other handsome fellow | bellabrigido | Flickr](http://www.flickr.com/photos/bellabrigido/3951208385/) ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-is-afraid-of-the-dark/516570/9 "2009-11-06T20:45:49Z")
Awwww, poor kitty! ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-is-afraid-of-the-dark/516570/10 "2009-11-06T21:07:30Z")
Doesn’t it get dark pretty much every night, power or no power? ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2009, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-is-afraid-of-the-dark/516570/11 "2009-11-07T00:05:29Z")
> [@Contrapuntal](#): > > Doesn’t it get dark pretty much every night, power or no power? Not exactly. We live in the city. There are street lights, our yard lights and we always leave a light on in the hallway. (Yes, it’s a low energy light)